This blogger has not seen Beyond The Sun, a movie that "is based on the Gospels and told in several tales. It will focus on children from different cultures who emulate the apostles while searching for Jesus in the world around them. The filmmakers say it is intended to 'spiritually engage and encourage audiences of all ages to transmit Jesus’ words, to understand them and integrate them to live a better life, make good choices and help others.'" [1] Furthermore, "[a]ll profits from the film will be donated to Argentine charities El Alemendro and Los Hogares de Cristo, which aid at-risk children and young adults." [2]
Why be disappointed? First of all, the title of the movie is troubling. What in the Gospels could possibly be "beyond the sun" when the Blessed Virgin Mary Herself said, "I am the Woman clothed in the sun..." when She spoke to Gladys in San Nicolás, Argentina, on August 3, 1988, message number 1479. [3] If darkness lies beyond the "sun" in the movie, then perhaps the name of the movie would be fitting.
If the movie is made for the audience to "integrate" the words of Jesus in order "to live a better life, make good choices and help others," then the words might as well come from an atheist, a secular philosopher or social worker since the most commandment of Jesus is this: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." [4] Loving God with all of one's heart, soul, mind and strength is imperative and not among one of a dozen or more good choices that one may or may not pick to "live a better life." In other words, loving the Lord God is not a choice that can be overlooked but a commandment that has to be followed. To follow the commandment is to pray often, to adore the Blessed Sacrament, to always be humble and have faith, to forgive and to love. Not even the pope abides by this most important commandment, and the fact that he is in this movie speaks more to his desire for secular attention than his own abilities to lead his flock toward Heaven.
If "helping others" is another primary objective of the movie, then the movie would have to tell the audience what it means to "help" others. Is being supportive of abortions or gender reassignment surgeries within the meaning of "helping others"? Is being supportive of regime changes also within the meaning of "helping others"? The list goes on and on and therefore the movie could last days, if not weeks and months.
Moreover, "integrating" the words of Jesus does not necessarily mean that any one person would "lead a better life." It is how a person takes Jesus' words to heart that changes a person, from within, so that a life of interior peace can be attained, which may not may not be the equivalent of what this world sees as "a better life." If one wants a "better life" in a secular sense, then one ought to consider saying "yes" to one or more of Satan's temptations.
The One who spoke and lived the very words that would allow for supposedly "a better life" did not have a life that anyone would particularly want to lead. By living the words of Jesus, every single one of them, means having to suffer, and the suffering can be difficult to bear. For anyone to suggest that integrating the words of Jesus into one life will allow one to live "a better life" in a secular sense cannot be taken as "gospel."
One cannot emulate the apostles and find Jesus simply by looking around the world. Jesus lives within the hearts of people, and it is the Holy Spirit that gave strength to the Apostles to spread the word of Christ. They did not "search for Jesus," they knew Jesus and their mission was to spread His love, a love that was borne out of humility and perfect obedience to God. A movie that "focus[es] on children from different cultures who emulate the apostles while searching for Jesus in the world around them" is pure fiction.
Finally, if one thinks that the movie is unrealistic and remains unconvinced that the movie's objectives have been achieved, then one still ought to applaud it since all the profits from the film will go to aid certain charities. What that means is that after everyone who worked on the movie is paid fully for their work, presumably not overpaid for their work (that in and of itself can be subject of debate), then whatever that is left over will go to the charities.
Had this entire movie been made by volunteers and however much money that will be earned will go to the charities, that still will not satisfy this blogger, only because the God is not a marketing tool, even if the proceeds from marketing God benefits the needy.
What people need first is God, not money, and when everyone in the world lives in accordance with the words of Christ, then charity will take care of itself, without a movie.
[1] http://deadline.com/2016/02/pope-francis-in-movie-casting-beyond-the-sun-1201694232/
[2] http://variety.com/2016/film/news/pope-francis-movie-beyond-the-sun-1201693656/
[3] Laurentin, Father René. An Appeal From Mary In Argentina. Translated by Juan Gonzalez Jr., Ph.D. (Milford, Ohio: Faith Publishing Company, 1990), 88.
[4] http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/12, at 30.
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